Burmese Pythons Slither Across Country
In a new report from the US Geological Survey, it is possible that the invasive Burmese pythons, now found in the Everglades and other parts of south Florida, could spread across the entire souther United States. According to maps accompanying that article, there is no reason to think they won’t eventually also reach Mexico and spread southward from there.
Once a popular pet among reptile fans, the Burmese pythons grow far too large to be a safe house guest, so they have been released into the wild — wouldn’t want to hurt Oscar now would we? So many such pets were released in southern Florida, and the region is so ideally suited to the snakes, that there are now feral breeding populations. Naturally enough, they are spreading out into new territory all the time. They may not be as prolific as Kudzu, but they are just as persistent, and somewhat more aggressive.
Just one more example of people tampering with Mother Nature in mindless self-indulgence. As with so many other instances, this one is likely to turn about and bite them in the ass. Global warming will only make a larger area attractive to these pythons. Watch for them as the coastal waters rise to flood New Orleans.